It’s true that risotto rice varieties like vialone nano, carnaroli & arborio do have a little white spot that appears when the rest of the grains turn semi-transparent near the beginning of the cooking process. Because they are polished – a process that removes the bran and germ – it’s unlikely that this is the germ.

If you taste your risotto and it is still crunchy, this is an indicator that it is under cooked.

Though it’s less common, they do indeed use less polished rice – our integrale risotto rice for a less polished option which offers a firmer texture, nuttier flavor, and more nutrients. Risotto is also made with farro (emmer berries) in Italy – the dish is called “farrotto”.

I’m afraid we don’t have a photographic example handy. I’ll see if I can describe it a little more clearly.

The “eye” that the original questioner refers to (I’ve never heard it called that before, so I’m not sure it’s an official term) is a little fleck of white left suspended in some rice as it turns semi-translucent during cooking.